“That’s a lot for a fat guy, I’ll tell you that,” he said with a laugh.

The country music vocalist — he doesn’t consider himself a rapper or a singer — might joke about his weight but he is serious when it comes to his music.

“Everyday I’m hustling, man,” Ford said.

He’s built up a strong fan base despite receiving very limited radio play. His most recent album climbed both the country and rap charts. Ford combines rap music with the classic twang.
He took some time to chat with us about his upcoming show in Silsbee on a rare day off.

Q Your touring schedule seems kind of rough. Does it ever get to be too much?
A I love playing music. It is such a big honor to be able to get out there and play music for people and for them to come and see you. I consider it a blessing and I have a problem with artists that don’t want to take pictures or sign autographs and stuff like that. If it wasn’t for the fans you wouldn’t even been here.

Q Is it important for you to stay connected with your fans?
A That is how I built my fan base. A lot of places just won’t play me on the radio, so I’ve built it just through that fan interaction and word of mouth. When I get done with a show, if I got to stay three hours to sign autographs until everybody’s happy, then I’ll stay three hours. I mean, I think you owe the fans that.

Q You have a really unique sound. How did you develop it?
A It was my sound. I just can’t sing too good. I consider myself a country artist but I’m aware of how I deliver it. But I think a lot of people are confused with it. They want to put labels on stuff, so of course they want to label me because what I’m doing is not what is typically going on but recitation and talking. Spoken word records have been around for a long time in the country world. A lot of people want to call me a country rapper. I don’t really say that. To me rap is not a genre. Hip hop is a genre. Rap is a vocal style. I just make the music the best way I can make the music.

Q I heard a rumor that you were also a pro golfer?
A Yeah, that is kind of crazy. Seems normal to me because that is what I have always done but I understand that it seems crazy to everybody else. That was about 120 pounds ago. (laughs) But yes, that is a true statement.

Q How did you go from golfing to the stage?
A I’ve always made music. Somebody asked me recently when I got into music. I said “Never. Music got into me.” It is something that has been a part of my life since I was little, when I decided I wasn’t going to play anymore. I was doing all kinds of things to put food on the table and I just decided to try to give music one more shot and got lucky that somebody liked it.

Q You collaborate with a lot of other country artists. What is that like?
A It’s cool. I think the fans really dig that. They like seeing colorations. I started really doing that. That was kind of my thing and now I’m seeing all kinds of country artist doing that… it’s fun man. There ain’t no rules. You can just do what you want to do. To have those artist that are so talented be apart of what I am doing that is a pretty humbling experience.

Q Is there anyone that stands out in your mind?
A I respect everybody I’ve worked with. I wouldn’t say that I like one more than the other. I like them all as artists. That is why I wanted to do something with them.

Q What can we expect from one of your live shows?
A Honestly, I put it up against anybody. It is on 10 from the time it starts. I’ve got one of the best bands you’ll ever see. It is just full throttle. It’s like being on a roller coaster ride. Hopefully when you get done, you want to do it again. It is just really high energy. I move around pretty good for a big ol’ boy up there.